Community / Shane wins seat on committee as Up Helly Aa gets ready for next year’s festival
LERWICK’s Up Helly Aa has a new jarl in waiting after Shane Jamieson was appointed to its committee.
He was selected at a mass meeting of guizers at Mareel in Lerwick on Tuesday evening.
Up Helly Aa is something of a family tradition for Shane, whose dad Stewart was guizer jarl four years ago – while his grandfather, the late Harry Jamieson, led the festival in 1981.
The 31-year-old civil engineer said he was delighted to have been elected to continue the family tradition.
“I have been very lucky to have grown up with Up Helly Aa, first through my grandfather and then my father who was jarl a few years ago,” he said.
“It always has been my aspiration of mine to support the festival for it to continue to be an important part of the community, and to make it as good as possible for everyone.”
Committee members generally have to wait 15 years, so it will not before 2038 for Shane to have his big day.
The next Lerwick Up Helly Aa will take place 31 January 2023.
It will come with extra significance given the last fire festival was held back in 2020, before the Covid pandemic postponed the next two years.
Scott Goudie was also in the running for a spot on the committee, but he missed out this time.
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